The Great Thirst Part Seven: Prevailing: The Great Thirst: An Archaeological Mystery Serial, #7

By Mary C. Findley

Keith enjoys sweet reunions with family and students when the Mexico field trip finally becomes a reality. Parents lash out against the Bradleys with bitter accusations of fracturing their families and teaching their children to hate them. Hiding in plain sight can only go so far when a cartel drug lord, an educational authority, and someone who insists on documenting her own truth prepare for a final showdown. Cherub Bradley's long-anticipated arrival sparks tender and terrifying consequences. Joshua Bradley's call to face the lions leads to  fiery confrontations no one expected.  Keith determines that it's time for them to stop running, and to make their enemies move instead. Easier said than done, if one distraught parent's confession is true. The full force of the US and Mexican governments might rise up in answer to the cries of a cult putting children in danger.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Findley Family Video
• Release date: Oct 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519973528

Mary C. Findley

Mary grew up in rural NY and Michael is from AZ. We met at college, taught school in AZ, MO and PA, homeschooled, and created curriculum and videos for church and commercial productions. We have three supposedly grown children and traveled the 48 states and Canada together in a tractor trailer.Findley Family Video Publications has the key verse “Speaking the Truth in Love” from Ephesians 4:15. We have four main goals:To Present a Biblical WorldviewTo Exalt the Lord Jesus ChristTo Edify BelieversTo Teach and to DelightMichael J. Findley has been on the road most of his life and his writings reflect that motion. From the rise of the ancient Hittite Empire to a generational saga of a Space Empire, the one constant is his desire to communicate the truth of God's Word through fiction and nonfiction. Homeschoolers, church leaders, and ordinary believers who want to go deeper into the Word and reach higher to put God in the exalted place where He belongs will find many answers here.They say write what you know. Mary C. Findley has poured her real life into her writing -- From the cover designs inspired by her lifelong art studies to the love of pets and country life that worm their way into her historicals. The never-say-die heroes in her twenty-some fiction works are inspired by her husband, a crazy smart man with whom she co-writes science and history-based nonfiction. These works were jump-started by a deep awareness of the dangers in our future if we don't understand ideological enemies rooted in the past. She's a strong believer in helping others and also has books about publishing advice and the need to have strong standards in reading and writing.She has traveled internationally and around the lower 48 and Canada multiple times. Anecdotes from her small town life, college experiences, European, Canadian, and south-of-the border travels, as well as adventures as shotgun rider in a tractor trailer fill her contemporary works. She has also donned the cloak of alt-Victorian adventuress as Sophronia Belle Lyon, steampunk writer with her own League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (and ladies) from the great 1800s novelists. In all her works you will find faith, family, friendship and fulfilling stories. Do come have a look!

Book preview

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Praise for The Great Thirst Serial

The action part of the story barely begins in this first part, but I laughed out loud in places ...

... Mystery, suspense, intrigue, good versus evil, spiritual warfare and a motive to show the importance of the Gospel and what it means for all mankind.

... Wonderful teaching moments while still making it very entertaining without being preachy. Youth love being taught when it is fun so she has a wonderful platform here for this.

... Truly a Christian Novel that is tremendous, bible based and unique all in once.

The Great Thirst Part Seven: Prevailing

A Serial Archaeological Mystery

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by

Mary C. Findley

© Mary C. Findley 2015

Findley Family Video Publications

The Great Thirst Part Seven: Prevailing – A Serial Archaeological Mystery by Mary C. Findley

© 2015 Findley Family Video

No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission of the publisher. Exception is made for short excerpts used in reviews.

Speaking the truth in love.

Scripture references are as follows: The Bible: The King James Version, public domain. The New American Standard Version: Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible Registered, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.0. Copyright © 1996-2013 by ISV Foundation. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

In Association with The Edge Books

What is THE EDGE?

THE EDGE is a conviction. It’s where we stand to save the lost. It’s stepping away from our comfortable pews to bring God to the world. It’s following Jesus’ example to minister to the outcasts, the overlooked, the forgotten.

THE EDGE is about relationship, not religion. It’s God’s power being stronger and God’s love running deeper than anything people face. It’s being fearless in the face of adversity and willing to look the devil in the eye and say, You can’t have him or her anymore.

We are authors, Christians, people walking by faith. We are THE EDGE.

www.TheEdgeBooks.blogspot.com

Acknowledgments

Cover credits: Book One: Professional man and woman images (Keith Bradley and Natalia Ramin) from iStock

Couple-waiting (teens in have faith shirts) image from Kozzi.com uploaded by Wright Artistry www.wrightartistry.com

Book Seven: Images from Canstock, Wikimedia Commons (Ball Court at Monte Alban by Andrew McMillan public Domain), and Depositphoto

Background texture from pixabay.com, by user Zeana

Artifact image from http://www.fouman.com/ Iranian Historical Photo Gallery source for Darius I Persepolis Gold Plates

These plates were found by archeologists in 1938, in Persepolis, near modern day Shiraz, Iran.  There were two gold plates and two silver plates in a stone box, written on in cuneiform script. The plates date to 518 – 515 BC.

Tesla Roadster (chapter header image) 13 April 2010 Author Thomas Doerfer Wikimedia Commons

Fingers with dust (section divider image) from pixabay.com user Unsplash

Keith’s story on the bus in Chapter One Hundred and Two – Layers of Truth, refers first to a quote by Richard Dawkins, a popular modern science author. We have proved that there exists a trajectory of stepwise change connecting beetle to deer and, by implication, a similar trajectory from any modern animal to any other modern animal. It comes from his book The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene. London: Oxford University Press, 1982, 1999.

The second part, a possible flood scenario, is adapted and severely abridged from The Conflict of the Ages Part Three: They Deliberately Forgot: The Flood and the Ice Age by Michael J. Findley, based on multiple sources including Answers in Genesis, Institute for Creation Research, and Creation Ministries International, among others, documented in that work. Copyright 2013, Findley Family Video Publications.

The History of Chocolate Exhibit described in Chapter One Hundred and Three – Coming to a Head referring to San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán is fictional. The site does have a nearby museum and includes statuary like the giant stone heads and baby jaguar sculptures but no attempt is made to exactly describe these features in the book.

Table of Contents

Chapter One Hundred – Carte Blanche

Chapter One Hundred and One –A Matter of Trust

Chapter One Hundred and Two – Layers of Truth

Chapter One Hundred and Three – Coming to a Head

Chapter One Hundred and Four – Anne Means Grace

Chapter One Hundred and Five – Jenny Kaine Gets Impatient

Chapter One Hundred and Six – Entertaining Angel

Chapter One Hundred and Seven –Trust Issues

Chapter One Hundred and Eight – A Night to Remember

Chapter One Hundred and Nine –Death or Life

Chapter One Hundred and Ten – The Arena

Chapter One Hundred and Eleven – Angel on the Stairs

Chapter One Hundred and Twelve – Twisting Everything Around

Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen – We Just Want Our Kids Back

Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen –Day of Reckoning

Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen – Loose Ends

Sneak Preview of

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Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord God, When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord. People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it.

Amos 8: 11-12, NASB

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The Great Thirst

Chapter One Hundred – Carte Blanche

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Keith had already begun to regret his demand to be promoted to a cane for the hotel tour. They ended up commandeering a hotel courtesy wheelchair to finish looking over the facilities and get him to the private dining area.

Please don’t fall asleep in your food, Keith, Sophie said with a smile. I knew we would have more trouble with you trying to do too much than making you work at getting stronger.

"Feels so good, though, Keith said. Everything is moving better, finally."

Excellent news, Naddy said. The Guardians have a new discovery to talk to you about as soon as you are able to sit through another Skype session.

Okay, Keith said. Didn’t know I was holding anything up. Tell them to fire away.

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So this is the movers and shakers luncheon!

Keith almost fell out of his chair as Jenny Kaine walked into the room with a cameraman and four of Drew’s people in tow. Talia gripped his hand and he didn’t even care about fingernails. He held on to her for dear life.

Drew and Anne both emerged from their positions on the wall and intercepted them.

Turn around and walk back out, Drew said. This is a private meeting.

We tried to tell her that, Boss, one of the men said. She showed us legal papers –

"Just to prove I’m legal, Jenny Kaine said, tossing a pile of forms onto the table. I have carte-blanche authorization from Dr. Williams, the U.S. Department of education, and the state and city of Veracruz, to interview everyone connected with the School Administrator Appreciation Gala and the Bible as Literature Olmec Field trip. And in this room is the largest concentration of people currently in Mexico who are in the know about both those events."

Keith saw the look Drew darted him, but he made himself relax and pulled Talia’s hand in closer. This is a one-time offer, he said. Ask whatever you want to now, because you will not get another chance.

I want access to your field expedition when the students get here, too, Jenny Kaine insisted.

Okay. One time only for that, too, and we choose the time and the location, Keith said. He stroked Talia’s hand and her grip relaxed. But the expressions on the faces around him were tight and angry or openly fearful.

Now for my interviews. Who wants to go first? Jenny Kaine said brightly.

"Nope. You can ask me your questions, and that’s it, Keith said. Nobody else has to talk to you."

I can contact Dr. Williams if there’s some part of ‘carte-blanche’ you don’t understand, Jenny Kaine said.

I said this was a one-time offer, Keith said. You break it off now and go crying to mama, it won’t be repeated. It’s do or die with what you get right here and right now.

Interesting choice of words, Jenny Kaine said. All right, then, I’m Jenny Kaine for the International News Network. Sir, please tell us your name and occupation. She snapped her fingers at the cameraman and Keith watched the lens zoom in on him. He had hardly ever felt so exhausted in his entire life, but he straightened his aching body and took a breath.

Keith Bradley. I’m a high school science teacher at Bradley Central School.

Mr. Bradley, when did you first become involved in teaching the Bible as Literature at your school?

Two years ago.

Can you give us some background on how you got involved in the project?

We had a new Literature teacher at our school, Ms. Talia Ramin, who showed my father the government’s requirements for the class.

Your father? Who is that?

Keith hesitated. My father is the school Principal, Joshua Bradley. He assigned me to co-teach the class with Ms. Ramin.

What was his reason for doing that? I mean, I can see Ms. Ramin, as a Literature teacher, conducting the class, but what qualifications did you as a science teacher bring to the class? Were you there to keep an eye on a somewhat flighty, first-year teacher?

I was there to contribute, at Ms Ramin’s request and direction, geologic, meteorologic, and technological supporting evidence for the authority of the Bible as historical and scientific truth.

Jenny Kaine scowled.